Digital ID cards will not restrict use of public services, minister insists to LBC
Digital ID will become mandatory as a means of proving the right to work under new government plans.
Digital ID cards will not restrict use of public services, insists a government minister, as she claims they will help "cut down on bureaucracy".
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Digital ID will become mandatory as a means of proving the right to work under new government plans, but people will not be required to carry or asked to produce it.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy has rejected concerns that ID cards could be used to restrict people from accessing public services.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, she said it will "definitely not" be the case that elderly or retired people, for example, will need one to get an NHS appointment or pension entitlement.
She said: "It's only for employment that you'll be required to produce it.
"But over the last few years, as the NHS app has been rolled out, we know that for a lot of people, including me, that's had significant benefits.
"I can access my medical records now when I couldn't previously. I can book appointments with my GP online. That's a real benefit.
"But we're not suggesting for a moment that people would have to produce this digital ID in order to get access to the National Health Service."
The plans envisage ID cards being stored on devices in the same way contactless payment cards or the NHS App are.
The MP for Wigan suggested that the ID card would "cut down on bureaucracy" and make it easier to access important documents and information.
She said: "If you think about the number of times... you have to dig out things like utility bills, national insurance numbers, passport details in order to be able to access services."
Ms Nandy continued: "I think it will enable people to travel much more seamlessly through their interaction with government. It will help us to cut down on bureaucracy.
"The truth is that we're living in a digital age, but the UK has been operating like an analogue country for too long.
"And we think this will have benefits to UK citizens, not just in terms of tackling the illegal economy, which is one of the chief reasons that we're announcing this today."
The digital ID would be the authoritative proof of identity and residency status in the UK and include name, date of birth, and a photo as well as information on nationality and residency status.
How the scheme will work for those those who do not use smartphones will be addressed as part of the consultation process.
Those who do not want to carry a digital ID card or do not operate digitally could be given a physical card instead.
Sir Keir Starmer says plans for the identification held on people’s phones will be an “enormous opportunity” for the UK and make working illegally tougher.
The Prime Minister said: “I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering.
“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.
“And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.”
